Kapitel 266: 25. Sata Salamaa. (Hundred Lightinings.)
We got a lot of gigs planned and one Sark's facility. Jake went out with Magnum to do some gigs after my strike team had arrived. I'd be safe. This Sark facility was brutal, and when I looked at the pictures of dead corpses being thrown into the incinerator, a lot of my blood boiled. Our scouts had gotten brilliant pictures with the new drones, and when I looked at the mangled bodies, I decided this was going down completely.
Brutus, Lucy, Jim, Neil, Lance. Leroy, Rick, Liam. Bobby, Harper. Me and ten of my trusty sidekicks. I had been with the loyal strike team for years, who had watched me, kept me safe, and done gigs with me. We would do it and again put one of Sark's facilities out of commission. We knew Sark kept its best targets here, so there would be more collectors and breakers.
I alone would wake everyone up, and the transfer plan was easy to make. There weren't that many windows, and what the movers decided was in the woods, but we could get a transport truck and pipe there quickly. Of course, I always had backup. They never let me go in alone, and even though we knew it was Sark's facility, Sark wasn't always around.
There were few victims, so we agreed I would go again as a rescuer. Brutus, Jim, Neill, and Leroy would be the breakers; Lucy and Lance, the collectors, Rick and Liam, would then move whoever I could to safety. Harper was our driver, and Bobby was my backup. I would have two floors to go, and the casualties were about 20-30, but that would be a tolerable number.
We would put on our normal gear. Of course, we didn't expect any special weapons that we would have to put on even more, but these vests and jackets were adequate for most of the weapons that the bad guys usually had.
We had a drone in use, and I would use it again to look at the environment. The yard, the roof, and where the victims were, would help the exterminators know where the enemies were. I chose a weapon for myself and took ammo and explosives with me, as well as tranquilizers, just in case.
I had a long sleeve undershirt on myself, which, too, was reinforced, prevented the knife from striking, and prevented the force of the hits so my replication enzyme didn't activate unnecessarily. Then I put on a lighter body armor, a jacket, and on top of that, even stronger body armor; the others just put on a stronger vest.
Because we didn't suspect there was a vampire here, we didn't put on neck protectors; we knew there were supernaturals here, probably shapeshifters. We had rescued some, but they had always been in pretty terrible shape. Colin was on duty, and then we would take the victims to him if they were required.
I hadn't informed Colin of anything yet. As he was also keen to examine me and a year of peaceful living, he would probably want to see where we were going.
We packed into the car. Harper was ready; it was a big car, and there was room for all the victims. Harper was a quick man to move the victims into the car, and often, when he was on a job, he needed little else.
Harper was over six feet tall, had blond hair, and was German originally, but he had moved to America with his family a decade ago. Then his sister had been kidnapped, killed in a medical facility, Harper had sworn revenge, started doing dirty work and got himself locked up, his wife had then divorced him and while Harper was in prison a friend of mine had told me about him. I then had a couple of guys get him out and refer him to Adam. He was a fucking efficient but very nice guy who made everybody trust him.
Bobby was my backup. He was brown-haired; maybe the best way to describe him would be a cross between Rob Love and Clint Eastwood and Scott Caan. He was one of Adam's trusted people and knew how important it was to keep me safe. Bobby was good at protecting and had the same calm authority that Damon had naturally. If Damon didn't shove his power in your face. Bobby was single. He had two poodles, girls, young and toy-sized, and three cats. He had a mother and five sisters still alive. Bobby wasn't even 40 yet.
Leroy had been with me for quite a long time; he was one of Brutus' pack, so he was my original fleas, as was Brutus. He was also of African origin, tall and muscular like Brutus. Both men were damn fast shots and good with guns. They were efficient attackers, but both could be incredibly gentle with kids. When there had been kids at a couple of gigs, these men could get the kids to calm down and obey directly, whereas I didn't have that touch with kids.
Lucy was a fucking great explosion expert. She had a wife and was definitely not impressed by Damon; when I told her about the flank wedding, she laughed outright. She even said that it was good for me to take it easy sometimes.
Rick and Liam were twins, not identical but twins, and they could argue a lot. You would have thought they would have worked better, but no. Well, it was different at the gig, and they were in telepathic contact with each other. Rick was blond, and Liam was dark, both with pale skin, dark brown eyes, and dimples. They were both skilled marksmen and karate masters. And they almost flirted with me whenever we weren't at a gig. Although they were friendly with all the ladies, both had wives and several children. They were about 50 but in fucking good shape, and age certainly didn't show.
Jim and Lance were the youngest. Both weren't even 30 yet, but they were fast, military, and really dedicated. Even though they both had wives and were expecting their first children. Jim had lived in France for a long time and had been there from the very beginning when I had just rescued his girlfriend, who had then become his wife.
Lance had been in America and was the nephew of one of the biggest pharmaceutical bosses. He hated his uncle and everything he did. Lance's brother had died as a child, and this uncle had something to do with it. Lance's girlfriend was a police detective in New York originally but is now on maternity leave, and they have just bought their own house. I had already considered putting Lance on leave, but he insisted on getting this gig. He hated the Sark experiments very much.
Neil was one of our doctors. He had helped me a few times well after I had gotten a few cuts from daggers at fight clubs that didn't heal so well. He was loyal to me after I had rescued him from one of the krycheck facilities. So he kept his mouth shut about my injuries and didn't even mark them anywhere lest Colin find out. He was married to a man, and they had three adopted children from Africa. They were hoping maybe to get their own biological, but when they didn't have that much money, Neil had been doing gigs, and I paid him a salary, so he had saved up.
I didn't pay everyone a salary, but I paid the medical staff if they had to stretch for something.
We got the car in place. Harper dropped us off while he drove the car himself to the transfer point. We had everything ready, and everyone was geared up. We went near the facility and put the drone in the air. The roof was clear. There was no one there. There was no movement in the yard. The thermal camera revealed where the victims were, and there didn't seem to be that much movement.
Maybe this would be a quick and easy job. We had really strong explosives on us, and the goal now was just to destroy the whole horseshit facility. The demolition guys would set off the bombs when the victims were almost all rescued and everything that needed to be collected. It wouldn't take many rounds.
With just six, you could take down a pretty big apartment building. And these bomb dogs wouldn't find them. They were small. It was easy to hide, and the range of the receiver wasn't that ridiculously long or secure, but we'd detonate when we were in the car, and that distance was enough.
The base was only less than ten kilometers away, so the trip took little time. The destroyers went to work. We had silencers, but my keen ears could hear a few pops.
Brutus said in my ear, "All clear, Flea Leader, you can go. "
We went then, Bobby running alongside me, watching our surroundings the whole time.
I crept up the stairs. This was an open door, and I went in, and these were the shapeshifters. I went into the first patient room, and the movers were already set up. The first was a large blond man who appeared to be anesthetized and in strong restraints. Well, they weren't so strong that I couldn't break them.
I disconnected all the tubes and wires. I put my hand in front of his mouth again and squeezed his ear. The man opened his golden eyes and looked at me for a moment.
I said, "I'm here to save you. Believe it or not, I'm The Flea. I will give you my blood soon, and it will help a lot. "
I bit my wrist open and let the man lick it. Soon, he grabbed my hand and drank it all in.
He took a deep breath and said, "I'm Curran, the lion shifter. How can I ever help you? You are the alpha. You're the one..."
I said nothing back. I knew the drugs could make the victims see quite a lot, and I thought little about it. I helped him to stand, smiled, and directed the man to the transporters. I moved on to the next shifter—the same thing. I hastened. The transporters worked briskly, and the victims were quickly through the tube and at Harper's.
Just as I had gotten everyone free, shots rang out, and I asked into the microphone, " What's the situation? Where's the shooting?"
Liam said, " There are hostiles here and lots of them. Where the fuck did they come from? Oh fuck, there's one on the roof too."
After a moment, Harper said, "All the rescued are safe, but there are a lot of guys here."
I said to Harper, "Get out of here, get the people to safety, we'll be fine. Come back."
The gunshots were getting more and more frequent. The microphone in my ear crackled.
Brutus said, " Oh shit, I'm hit; they've got armor-piercing bullets,"
Brutus's voice sounded weak.
I said into the crackling microphone, my voice tense, "Neil, do you copy? Brutus has been hit. What's the situation?"
Silence greeted me, sending an icy sensation coursing through the pit of my stomach. Turning to Bobby, I whispered in a hushed tone, my words barely audible, "Neil isn't responding. Brutus is down, and the area is swarming with hostiles. We need to stand down and regroup."
Bobby grunted in acknowledgment. Knowing our safe point was within reach, I reassured myself that no one would make it there.
Desperation laced my voice as I spoke into the microphone once more. "This is Flea. I've given the order to evacuate the rescued. We just have to wait for extraction. Retreat if possible. I'm on my way."
Just as I was about to make my way towards the front door, Bobby's forceful push sent me sprawling to the ground. Simultaneously, the deafening sound of a gunshot pierced the air. Bobby remained motionless, and a searing heat trickled down the back of my neck.
Scrambling out from under his lifeless body, I realized the bullet had struck him in the back, piercing his heart. He had sacrificed himself, leaping in front of the deadly projectile meant for me. A soft curse escaped my lips. I was cursed with immortality.
Approaching footsteps echoed ominously, fueling my urgency to flee. Panic surged through me as I sought refuge outside. Five men pursued me relentlessly. I unleashed a point-blank shot in a split second, dropping one of them instantly. My gaze locked with the shooter, and I retaliated with a well-aimed bullet.
Lance, one of my team members, dragged another comrade behind him, desperately attempting to find cover. But a sudden shot rang out, and Lance crumpled to the ground, never to rise again. A bullet narrowly missed my face, grazing my cheek as I strained to navigate my surroundings. The silence over the microphone was deafening. Taking cover, I fired back whenever an opportunity presented itself. My vampire reflexes aided me, yet the sound of gunfire continued from within the building.
Cursing vehemently, I spotted several figures on the roof, their presence infuriating. They must have discovered some hidden shelter that the drone failed to detect. With sheer determination, I eliminated all five men, seizing the chance to push forward to the next location.
Swiftly skirting the yard's edge, I approached an outbuilding, spotting Brutus leaning against a wall. The metallic scent of blood permeated the air. The bullet had pierced his bulletproof vest and lodged itself somewhere in his stomach. To save him, I removed my gloves, ready to bite into my wrist and offer him my blood.
However, before I could act, Brutus looked at me, his voice weak but resolute, "Don't bother."
A groan escaped his lips, and his gaze glazed over, his heartbeat fading away. Despair consumed me as I muttered a curse under my breath. Determined to complete the mission, tears welled in my eyes, but I suppressed them. There was no time for grief; I was in a relentless job.
I aimed at the roof, my heart pounding in my chest as I aimed my gun at the three men before me. The deafening sound of gunfire echoed through the air as I shot them, one after another, their bodies falling to the ground.
Rushing over to Lance, my eyes widened in horror as I saw him cradling Lucy, her gasps for air desperate and labored. The metallic scent of blood filled the air as I noticed her neck, stained crimson and oozing profusely—another friend, slipping away before my eyes, another life lost in my own hands.
Desperation engulfed me as I wondered why my blood couldn't save her. Why was I always too late? I reached out, attempting to give her a transfusion, but it was futile. Lucy's chance at survival had slipped away, all because I hadn't reached her in time.
Rick burst out of a nearby door, his presence a fleeting blur as I realized the shooter had taken another life on the roof. I cursed my inability to take down the well-protected assailant, knowing there were still at least four of them up there.
Sark emerged, gripping Liam tightly in his grasp, his voice filled with menace as he shouted his ultimatum. The guards hauled away the lifeless bodies of the other two men, one of whom was Neil. Liam, a skilled karate master, fought back, attempting to bring down Sark. But in an instant, a gunshot cut through the air, extinguishing another one of my dear friends.
Everyone in my group was gone, except for Harper and me. Fear consumed me as I saw Sark wielding a tranquilizer gun. I refused to become his prey. Suddenly, a searing pain sliced through my upper waist, a bullet piercing my lung. But I refused to be hindered, pushing through the pain, my determination unwavering. Another jolt of agony struck my left shoulder, but I ran with the speed of a vampire, escaping into the safety of the woods.
The scent of damp earth and pine-filled my nostrils as I fled, knowing that this was all part of the plan. We always had escape routes prepared for when things went awry, and this mission had gone as horribly wrong as possible. The weight of my failures pressed heavily upon me, losing my family, my closest friends, and my trusted allies. I knew I had made grave mistakes; now, my friends had paid the ultimate price for my errors.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein